Sportsboat

rdf:langString Sportsboat

rdf:langString The term sportsboat first appeared in the late 1980s and early 1990s to describe trailer sailers that were optimised for high performance at the expense of accommodation and ballast. The very definition of the term "sportsboat" is evolving. There is an absence of an accepted definition of the term. They tend to be characterised by historically large sail areas for a given length (especially under downwind sails), light weight construction and a heavy reliance on crew weight to counterbalance heeling forces. They usually feature lifting keels (for easy trailerability) of a modern fin and bulb design and planing hull designs. Most sportsboats are self-righting as opposed to skiffs. As similar design philosophies spread into larger classes the length of most sportsboats has come to be considered as between 5.5m and 8m (18'-26'). Boats of a similar design but of larger size have come to be known as sports yachts and are generally in the size range of 9m - 12m. Their noncomformity with traditional designs and concepts — and their heterogeneity — has made problematical their placement into racing, outside of one design races.Creating handicap systems that match actual sportsboat performance has necessitated new Racing Rules of Sailing and measures. The Australian Measurement System was updated in 2012 with the launch of AMS2 and this has been very successful in updating the mathematics to accommodate modern [traditional] designs. Particularly because of their planing performance (which varies from the hydrodynamics and hull speed of a displacement hull), the Sportsboat Measurement System was specially created to fit the needs of boats within the category.